The practice of secrecy

Because mystics experience spiritual phenomena that are hidden from the senses, they often conform with the secrecy of the spiritual by being secretive themselves. Some mystics retreat into silence. Some preserve secrecy about their ecstatic experiences but speak openly about their mystical ideas and beliefs. Others are still less secretive, withholding, for example, only a certain technique by which alternate states of consciousness are attained, such as a doctrine, a chant, or a spiritual name. In many Native American cultures, people were expected to seek visions in order to encounter a guardian spirit who would bestow ... (100 of 9,531 words)